Santa Barbara County has 4 DMV field offices and 20 active public high schools serving 19,142 students. Teens anywhere in the county can take California's 30-hour online driver education course, then the permit test at any DMV office.
DMV offices in Santa Barbara County
Santa Barbara County averages about 4,786 high-school students per DMV office. All 4 offices here are open five weekdays. No DMV office in Santa Barbara County lists weekend hours. Book on the DMV appointments page (opens in a new tab); what to bring is on our permit visit checklist.
| Office | Address | Hours | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goleta DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 7127 Hollister Avenue Suite 24/26, Goleta 93117 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 |
| Lompoc DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 1601 N H St, Lompoc 93436 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 |
| Santa Barbara DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 535 Castillo Street, Santa Barbara 93101 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 |
| Santa Maria DMV office (opens in a new tab) | 2850 Santa Maria Way, Santa Maria 93455 | Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 8 am–5 pm; Wed 9 am–5 pm | 1-800-777-0133 |
Cities in Santa Barbara County: nearest DMV and high schools
Each incorporated city with its 2026 population, the number of public high schools inside it or with its mailing address, and the nearest DMV office to them. Families in unincorporated Santa Barbara County use the office nearest home.
| City | Population (2026) | High schools | Nearest DMV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria | 113,041 | 4 | Santa Maria (2.5 mi) |
| Santa Barbara | 85,083 | 6 | Santa Barbara (2.5 mi) |
| Lompoc | 43,073 | 4 | Lompoc (0.9 mi) |
| Goleta | 32,409 | 1 | Goleta (0.7 mi) |
| Carpinteria | 12,612 | 1 | Santa Barbara (11 mi) |
| Guadalupe | 8,649 | 0 | No high school address in city |
| Solvang | 5,621 | 2 | Goleta (18 mi) |
| Buellton | 5,353 | 0 | No high school address in city |
Licensed driving schools in Santa Barbara County
8 driving schools hold an Active California DMV license at an address in Santa Barbara County (DMV list checked 2026-10-04). The list is alphabetical; we do not rank schools. Confirm a license on the DMV lookup (opens in a new tab) before you pay.
| Driving school | DMV license | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Steve Morris Defensive Driving School | E4701 | 705 W Micheltorena, Santa Barbara | (805) 965-7979 |
| Cindys Driving School | E4452 | 2077 Tanglewood Dr, Santa Maria | (805) 260-1922 |
| Curbside Driving School | E4369 | 1415 Revere St, Santa Maria | (805) 938-1557 |
| Drive Master Driving School | E4443 | 1220 N 2nd St, Lompoc | (805) 736-9655 |
| Drive Tech Driving School | E4707 | 1607 Mission Dr Suite 302 B12, Solvang | (805) 688-4502 |
| DRIVE2PASS North | E2129 | 247 Deming Wy, Buellton | (805) 698-0102 |
| Goodland Driving School LLC | E0296 | 5951 Encina Rd #102, Goleta | (805) 888-2599 |
| Gundersen Driving School | E2938 | 5730 Hollister Ave 14, Goleta | (805) 448-6674 |
Driving in Santa Barbara County: the Gaviota stretch and SR 154 crossings
Between Dos Pueblos Creek, near Goleta, and the Gaviota Tunnel, animals on US 101 are a real hazard. Caltrans reports a high rate of wildlife-vehicle collisions (opens in a new tab) in this stretch, which ends at the 101/SR 1 interchange beyond the tunnel. Two embankments there keep slumping and cracking the pavement. Caltrans plans to repave, stabilize the slopes and build a wildlife undercrossing with guide fencing, from January 2028 to August 2030. Drive this stretch first in daylight. At night, use high beams only when no car is ahead of you or coming toward you.
Inland, State Route 154 meets Foxen Canyon Road near Los Olivos at an intersection with a crash rate above the statewide average (opens in a new tab). Caltrans wants a roundabout there to end high-speed broadside crashes, and it lists construction as starting sometime in 2028-2030. Elsewhere on SR 154, a drainage and pavement project (opens in a new tab) was scheduled from January 2026 to August 2027. Rural crossroads like this one demand careful gap judgment. Stop fully, look left, right and left again, and wait for a gap big enough to cross at a normal pace.
Quick answers
Sources
- California DMV field office list (fetched 2026-10-05) (opens in a new tab)
- California Department of Education: public schools directory, 2025-26 (fetched 2026-10-05) (opens in a new tab)
- California Department of Finance: E-1 population estimates, January 1, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- California DMV: Teen drivers (opens in a new tab)
- California DMV Occupational License Lookup: driving schools (checked 2026-10-04) (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 5: Dos Pueblos to Gaviota Preventative Maintenance and Wildlife Crossing (US 101) (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 5: State Route 154 and Foxen Canyon Road Intersection Improvements (opens in a new tab)
- Caltrans District 5: State Route 154 Drainage Rehabilitation Project (opens in a new tab)
Checked: October 5, 2026. Rules and forms can change; recheck the official page before acting.
See something wrong or out of date? Report a mistake on this page. We read every report and fix confirmed mistakes.